Steam train begins annual autumn service in Hokkaido

Steam train begins annual autumn service in Hokkaido

SAPPORO, Japan - The SL (Steam Locomotive) Niseko leaves JR Otaru station in Hokkaido Prefecture on Sept. 20, 2014. Every autumn, the steam train service operates for a limited period between Sapporo and Rankoshi via the popular resort town of Niseko. But operator Hokkaido Railway Co. is considering scrapping the service next year.

Prompted by Aussie invasion, local town curbs resort development

Prompted by Aussie invasion, local town curbs resort development

SAPPORO, Japan - Construction of many condominiums is under way in Kutchan town's Niseko Hirafu district in Hokkaido. Behind them is Mt. Yotei

Steam train begins annual autumn service in Hokkaido

Steam train begins annual autumn service in Hokkaido

SAPPORO, Japan - The SL (Steam Locomotive) Niseko leaves JR Otaru station in Hokkaido Prefecture on Sept. 20, 2014. Every autumn, the steam train service operates for a limited period between Sapporo and Rankoshi via the popular resort town of Niseko. But operator Hokkaido Railway Co. is considering scrapping the service next year. (Kyodo)

Niseko Annupuri Distant View

Niseko Annupuri Distant View

A distant view of Niseko Annupuri from the countryside in Kutchan-cho, Hokkaido.

The streets of Niseko Hirafu

The streets of Niseko Hirafu

The streets of Hirafu, a ski resort town in Kutchan-cho, Hokkaido, crowded with overseas tourists.

Niseko Annupuri International Ski Resort

Niseko Annupuri International Ski Resort

A lodge at the Niseko Annupuri International Ski Resort in Niseko Town, Hokkaido.

Niseko Annupuri

Niseko Annupuri

Niseko Annupuri seen from Route 5 in Kutchan-cho, Hokkaido.

Mt. Yotei (Ezo Fuji)

Mt. Yotei (Ezo Fuji)

A distant view of Mt. Yotei from Road 66 in Niseko Town, Hokkaido.

The streets of Niseko Hirafu

The streets of Niseko Hirafu

A view of the Hirafu district of the ski resort Kutchan-cho, Hokkaido, crowded with visitors from overseas.

Niseko Hirafu townscape and Mt.Yotei

Niseko Hirafu townscape and Mt.Yotei

The town of Hirafu in Kutchan-cho, Hokkaido, a ski resort area bustling with overseas visitors, and Mount Yotei.

Foreign skiers in northern Japan

Foreign skiers in northern Japan

Foreign tourists walk in Hokkaido's Niseko area, a famous ski resort in northern Japan, in February 2017. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Medical interpreters at ski resort in Japan

Medical interpreters at ski resort in Japan

Foreign tourists are pictured in Hokkaido's Niseko district in February 2018. Medical interpreters from the Kutchan-Kosei General Hospital in the town of Kutchan are helping a popular ski resort in the area deal with injuries to the growing number of foreign tourists. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Medical interpreters at ski resort in Japan

Medical interpreters at ski resort in Japan

Izumi Miyama (R), a medical interpreter at the Kutchan-Kosei General Hospital in the town of Kutchan near the Niseko ski resort in Hokkaido, supports a foreign patient in February 2018. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Medical interpreters at ski resort in Japan

Medical interpreters at ski resort in Japan

Izumi Miyama (L), a medical interpreter at the Kutchan-Kosei General Hospital in the town of Kutchan near the Niseko ski resort in Hokkaido, supports foreign patients in February 2018. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Medical interpreters at ski resort in Japan

Medical interpreters at ski resort in Japan

Photo taken in February 2018 shows Hokkaido's popular Niseko district. Medical interpreters from the Kutchan-Kosei General Hospital in the town of Kutchan are helping the ski resort deal with injuries to the growing number of foreign tourists using the area's slopes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo